Path of the Strayed Ninja
by hornsrock
Summary: The Sound Five have successfully taken Sasuke. Now Kiba along with his comrades must get Sasuke back at all costs, but what if Kiba doesn't want to? What can he be hiding? Will be rated M in later chapters
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own these characters (Although I wish I did ^^, but I would probably get sued^^so I guess it's good I don't^^)**

**Summary**: **The Sound Five have successfully taken Sasuke. Now Kiba along with his comrades must get Sasuke back at all costs, but what if Kiba doesn't want to? What can he be hiding? Will be rated M in later chapters**

**Just to let you know before you begin reading, I have decided that my story was crap and I was leaving all the good things out (important details) so I have started over. So read and enjoy^^**

Quickly the five leaf nin made their way through the trees, careful to avoid any traps set by the ninja they had been chasing. Silence was their only companion, had been for the past few hours as they concentrated on their task. The mission made them all a little nervous, even though they weren't about to admit it. It was a simple task, technically, but Sasuke's captors had proved very allusive, tricking them along the way with various pouch bombs and kunai traps, and Chouji had barely dodged the last set of kunai that shot straight at him. 'Stupid Sasuke' Kiba thought, hands clenching into fists, not noticing the few drops of blood that leaked from his palm where his sharp nails dug into. However, he was worried. After all, his heart had belonged to the captive not too long ago. The dog nin grimaced at the thought, his heart suddenly aching in his chest. Emotions quickly flashed through his eyes, though none of the others noticed. Anger, confusion, and most of all, pain. 'Stupid of me to believe that it could work' he thought. Kiba had believed that he and the said chuunin would be together forever, as corny as it sounded. Their relationship had started out so perfectly, and Kiba remembered the elation he felt when his crush had appeared behind him and whispered in his ear that he "loved" Kiba and that he had already set up a date that evening at seven. Shocked at the sudden admission, the brunette could only nod his head in acceptance, his ability to talk having completely abandoned him at that moment. After the raven had left, giving Kiba a tiny peck on the cheek as he went, the chuunin finally let his happiness show as he let out a walloping "Yahoooooo!" Akamaru had barked along with his master, happy that things were looking up for the dog lover, who had had a deep crush on the Uchiha for a good six months.

The date had gone rather smoothly, except for a few mishaps like when Kiba accidently spilled his tea on Sasuke's lap, creating a large brown stain on the front of the other's white shorts. Kiba consistently kept apologizing, his face red with embarrassment, but the raven just smiled and waved him off, indicating that it wasn't a big deal and the stain would easily come out. After awhile, they relaxed into a steady conversation with Kiba practically telling his whole life story and Sasuke just listening and smiling, asking a few questions about little details that the overexcited dog nin left out to make whatever story he was telling more understandable. However, his eyes never left the brunettes face the entire time, and when Kiba noticed and asked why, the raven didn't respond in words, but instead leaned across the table and pressed his lips against his date's. Fireworks exploded right before Kiba's eyes, making him gasp surprise and pleasure and, consequently, allowing Sasuke to sneak his tongue inside the other's mouth and explore.

Kiba smiled at the memory of the first kiss he and Sasuke had shared, but frowned again as many more memories made their way inside his head, the memories that were the reason their relationship had ended abruptly.

The brunette had fallen more in love with Sasuke with each kiss they shared, each time they cuddled together in their newly rented apartment while watching a show or movie, and each time they lay together in their bed, whispering 'I love you' and talking about anything that came to mind, content to listen to each other's voices until they fell asleep in the same position every night, bodies facing each other with Sasuke's arms wrapped tightly around Kiba. It seemed that Kiba's heart would eventually burst with the happiness and love that the other gave him, a precious gift that he thought he couldn't live without, and almost didn't.

Eventually conflicts had arisen with word that Itachi had been spotted close to the village and with it Sasuke had began to change. Kiba hadn't noticed it at first, thinking that Sasuke's newly found but little possessive streak was the raven's way of showing how much he cared for his lover, and Kiba secretly liked having Sasuke's undivided attention because it meant that he could spend more time and share more kisses with his boyfriend. No, he hadn't noticed when two weeks had passed and each day the raven would come into the house and rearrange tiny objects, like the book shelf and the sock drawer, while muttering uncomprehendable sentences under his breath, eyes and mind completely focused on what he was doing. Kiba had shrugged it off as stress, that making everything in the house look perfect would put his lover's thoughts about his stray brother at ease. No, he hadn't noticed when he had become imperfect, and soon Sasuke's sights landed on Kiba.

The first time his lover had hit him, no, not hit, more like smacked, Kiba was only able to raise his hand to his sore cheek to help subside the pain that had flared there, his eyes wide and staring at Sasuke' s enraged face. His mind couldn't focus, couldn't allow him to believe what had just happened, even though all the evidence was there, right in front of him. He finally broke out of his revere when he heard the door slam shut, leaving nothing except pain in Kiba's heart and the memory of those cold eyes. Later that night, Kiba accepted Sasuke's apology as his lover climbed into bed beside him, brushing away his tears and kissing his cheek softly to vanish the tear streaks, the cheek that he had hit not even an hour ago. Kiba believed Sasuke's invented story of being worried, especially with Itachi out there searching for God knows what, and that he would never intentionally hurt Kiba, nor would it happen again. Kiba believed, and oh what a fool he was.

Two months had passed, and by this time Kiba's body was littered with little bruises, fresh and old, but nobody could tell. No, Sasuke was too smart for that, he made sure that any part of his lover's body he hit, it could be easily concealed by the tight fitting clothing, and he knew Kiba wouldn't tell because of his love for Sasuke and his Inuzuka pride, which had taken a bashing. Akamaru, seeing the constant fights and beatings, would bark at Kiba repeatedly, begging his master to leave his lover after all the raven had done to him, but the brunette would only shake his head, tears in his eyes while telling his companion that he loved Sasuke too much to let go, that eventually it would pass, though both knew he was lying. Kiba could feel himself disintegrating, his personality slowly dying as he took more of his lover's abuse, and became angry at himself that he wasn't strong enough to fight it. He also felt alone, so terribly alone as he would watch his friends go out to some party or get-together, each person laughing at some joke Naruto or Lee would tell, voices full of happiness. They had given up on asking Kiba to join since each time he would reject every invitation, smiling sadly, and after he closed the door, he would slide down the door until he was sitting and cry, half of himself wishing desperately to go with his friends while the other half would shake in fear of what Sasuke would do to him should he ever find out that Kiba had left without his permission.

Finally, one night after Sasuke had left, slamming the door behind him, Kiba stood shakily to his feet, and wishing Akamaru a good night, summoned enough courage to open the door and walk out, not knowing where his feet would take him. At every sound, he would glance back over his shoulder, sure he would find Sasuke breathing down his neck at any moment, ready to punish Kiba for disobeying orders, but he never did, and Kiba continued to walk until he found himself at the old park he used to play at. Sitting down on a nearby swing slowly so as not to aggravate his injuries, the brunette lost himself in his thoughts and his heartache, wondering if he would ever be able to escape from his mess of life when suddenly, like the sun washing out all the shadows from the night, **he** came.

Three days later, Kiba returned to his shared apartment, fear in his eyes, but also a different emotion, sharp and clear. Resolve. Yes Kiba had returned, but for a completely different reason than one might have suspected. The moon shone through the windows as he made his way inside, illuminating all the objects in the room. The furniture he and Sasuke had bought together, the beautifully sculpted dog vases that the raven had given him as gifts, and the bed that they had laid on and shared so many secrets. Breathing deeply, Kiba gathered his strength and began unloading the drawers and closet of his clothes, carefully packing them inside his bag along with other necessities. He wouldn't need anything Sasuke had bought him, no, he wouldn't let himself be reminded of his ex-lover. A small shadow caught the brunette's attention and Kiba whirled around, only to find his little white companion looking up expectantly at him, making the dog nin smile. "Come on Akamaru, we're leaving," Kiba said and Akamaru barked happily in response, anxious to get away from the apartment. Kiba turned around for a second to lift his bag onto his shoulder when a voice made him freeze and Akamaru whimper.

"Where do you think you're going?" Sasuke asked in a deadly whisper, and Kiba mentally slapped himself. He hadn't even heard the Bastard come in, nor did he smell him. _Probably some kind of jutsu, _he thought as he glared at his ex, not noticing the trembling from his own body.

"I'm leaving, Sasuke. You've gotten way out of control and I can't deal with it. Now move…," Kiba said, voice only slightly wavering and Sasuke's eyes crinkled with glee as his mouth formed a smirk. Beside the dog nin, Akamaru started growling, ready to protect his master if need be, and also wanting to bite the shit out of the raven for what he had done. Sasuke glanced down at the white pup before suddenly disappearing. Kiba looked around in confusion and worry, wondering where the damn Uchiha had gone when he heard a loud shriek coming from his left, where his companion used to be. Confusion turned to horror as he finally caught sight of the raven holding an unconscious Akamaru, blood pooling up in the white fur. Kiba couldn't even speak, his fear taking over. He knew Sasuke was abusive, but he never thought he would turn crazy.

"I thought I taught you Kiba, never to leave the apartment without my permission," Sasuke said calmly, glaring holes into Kiba, "and not only did you disobey me, but you were gone for THREE FUCKING DAYS!" and as he shouted this last part, he flung the white pup against the opposite wall, Akamaru's body making a loud 'thud' as he hit and landed on the floor.

"No!" Kiba screamed and made to run over to his dog, but a knee in the stomach dropped him to the floor, making him gasp for breath. A hand reached down and twisted its fingers into Kiba's hair and pulled him up so that he was kneeling in front of Sasuke, giving him a perfect view of the livid face. The hand in his hair gave a sudden yank, and Kiba gasped in pain, which seemed to be the desired response as he heard chuckling, feeling the other's breath ghost his hair. "Sas..," Kiba tried, but a resounding slap cut off any plead he might have made. Just like the first time Sasuke had slapped him, the dog nin lifted his hand to touch his cheek before it was roughly jerked down.

"Don't you dare try to talk back or make an excuse! Do you know how worried I was? Do you know how much I worry about you, my love?" Sasuke hissed, but quickly released his captive as the other thrashed out with his hands, his sharp nails able to slightly scratch Sasuke's cheek, leaving the other surprised. This was the first time Kiba had ever dared to retaliate against his punishment, and Sasuke felt his control slipping…

"Don't call me your lover!" Kiba screamed, not realizing what he was saying, or how Sasuke's eyes seemed to narrow. "If you _really_ loved me, Sasuke, then you would never have laid a finger on me! I was so stupid to have stayed with you for as long as I did, but that was because I loved you…but it took someone else to show me the truth. I wish I could've left you earlier. Damn Uchiha's. You always have to ruin everything, you're just like your brother…," Kiba's eyes widened at this last part before he was crushed against the wall by a very angry Sasuke, a hand over his mouth while the other grabbed his right wrist, twisting it slowly until the bones rubbed together and cracked. Kiba screamed in agony, muffled by the hand over his mouth. Quickly Sasuke switched the position of his hands, the one around kiba's broken wrist landing on his neck and the one on his mouth reached down to grab the brunette's left wrist.

"You want to compare me to my brother, Kiba? Well, I daresay, he would do worst than this," and that was all the warning Kiba got before he felt his wrist shatter with the force of the raven's chakra, and instead of a hand, this time kiba's scream was covered with Sasuke's mouth on his own in a disgustingly dominating kiss. When the scream was over and Kiba was sobbing into the kiss, Sasuke removed his mouth and chuckled, his mind relishing the forced control he had over Kiba. In delight, the onyx eyes began changing into the red circular pattern the Uchiha were known for and he grinned at the fear and pain on the other's face.

"So, you said someone showed you the truth? Have you let someone else into your heart when you swore it would only belong to me?" Sasuke asked, his hand tracing along the jaw line of Kiba's face. "Sas..uke…no," Kiba cried, only to be slapped for the second time that night. "Shut up! Don't think I don't know when you're lying to me, Kiba! You were gone for three days!" the raven broke off as if in thought, and Kiba thought that maybe Sasuke would stop, would let him leave, until the hand around his neck started tightening. Kiba yelled out in shock before his air was completely cut off.

"You understand this Kiba, you are mine and nobody else will have you. I will never let you go," Sasuke hissed, red orbs glowing. _He's going to kill me, _Kiba thought as his vision started dulling around the edges, and he slowly closed his eyes, not wanting to look at Sasuke any longer, when suddenly the awful pressure around his throat was gone, allowing the brunette to gasp for air as he slid down the wall. Confused on why he was let go so abruptly, Kiba glanced up and saw, to his relief, his savior. Gaara stood in the now broken doorway, the sand in his gourd pouring out and gathering around Sasuke, who only glared at the red-head.

"Are you alright," Gaara spoke, his voice seeming to hold no emotion, but Kiba could detect the concern interlaced within the tone. "Yes," Kiba rasped, his voice breaking a little, but Gaara knew that was far from the truth just by looking at Kiba's swollen hands. Seething in anger, the red-head turned back toward the culprit who was standing in the middle of the room, seeming unaffected by the sand trapping him.

"How dare you," Gaara growled, but Sasuke betrayed nothing on his face.

"How dare I? No, I believe I should be the one saying that particular phrase. How dare you come into this room and interrupt my boyfriend and me! You're trespassing on private property, you know, and I could report you to the Hokage," Sasuke responded, and looked towards Kiba. "Is he the one you were talking about, love? How pathetic…" the raven sneered. Gaara, not phased in the tiniest bit, continued on.

"Kiba and I will be leaving now, Sasuke, and if you try to interrupt, then _I_ will report _you_ to the Hokage about the abuse you have put Kiba through, that is, unless I decide to kill you first." Sasuke glared at the sand nin and tried to walk over to Kiba, but Gaara's sand quickly lashed out, slamming Sasuke into the wall behind him, a tiny amount of blood escaping his mouth from the impact. The Uchiha was not an idiot, and he knew the sand-nin was completely serious, as he also knew that busting through the boy's chest with his _chidori_ would draw unnecessary attention. Slowly, Sasuke nodded, giving his ex permission to leave, but not before uttering one dangerous threat.

"You won't ever be able to escape me, Kiba," the raven spat as Gaara lifted the bag from their bed and threw it over his shoulder, then walked over and picked up the unconscious pup from the floor. "Let's go," Gaara stated and left through the doorway, Kiba following behind.

"You hear me! YOU ARE MINE!" was the last thing he heard before he walked out of the apartment and into a new life, this time with Gaara holding him as Kiba lay in the hospital, his wrists bandaged up and a small smile on his face.

Kiba was brought back to the present by the forceful bark of his companion. He questioningly glanced down at Akamaru, wondering what was going on before he finally smelledwhat his companion had noticed before him. _Blood. _Kiba glanced back at Shikamaru, noticing the way the others brow crease in waiting.

"There's blood a little ahead from where we are. Are we gonna head towards it?" Kiba asked their leader, who stopped on a tree branch, his face showing the limitless possibilities that he was thinking about.

"It could be the remnants of a battle," Shikamaru wondered out loud.

"Or it could be a trap. I suggest we continue with our course," Neji said from behind looking just as thoughtful as Shikamaru.

"Hey, if it was a battle, then that means that we could have allies who could help us!" exclaimed Naruto. Kiba looked back once more, his body tense.

"Well, what're we gonna do?" he asked again. Shikamaru thought for a few minutes, different scenarios playing through his mind. Finally he glanced back at Kiba.

"We keep our course, we follow Sasuke" Shikamaru declared, and with that all five launched themselves from various branches while increasing their speed, hoping that the enemy had been engaged in battle and had been wounded enough to slow them down. However, Kiba silently hoped that the rescue team didn't reach their target. He didn't want to face Sasuke again, to see the cold eyes of his past lover. He feared that the emotions he had kept bottled up would come spilling out, and his wall that he built up with the help of Gaara would instantly crumble. He didn't want any of the other ninjas to see that, to see his weakness, and to have to explain what it meant. He didn't think he could handle it, with the wound so fresh. Suddenly Kiba stopped, his sensitive nose picking up the faint scent of other ninjas.

"What is it Kiba?" Shikamaru asked as his team mates landed on the branch beside him, ready for an invisible attack.

"I smell other ninja, and the scent is fairly strong," Kiba explained.

"Neji, can you see anyone?" Shikamaru asked. Eyes glowing opaque, Neji turned to Shikamaru, a simple nod indicating that he had.

"Ok, here's the plan," stated Shikamaru, then proceeded to explain to the group his strategy and the roles of each member. "And remember Kiba, the timing of those smoke bombs is crucial. If you're even off by one second, we could all die." Kiba only nodded, not showing any of the fear he felt. He may seem like a show-off, the loud, obnoxious one of the ninja, next to Naruto of course, but that façade was a lie. Inside he was just as scared as Hinata acted, self-doubt always in his mind, but he had learned to control it. At least when Sasuke wasn't there staring him in the face, that sharingun threatening him, even in his dreams…..

Kiba suddenly jerked his thoughts away from Sasuke as the other ninja began to move out. Progress was slow, the brunette having to crawl on his stomach most of the way, but they finally managed to surround the four ninja who seemed to be resting, their eyes closed and unaware that there were enemies closed in around them. "How weird," Kiba muttered under his breath while swiping away a spider web that was hanging in his face. Something was definitely not right, and he was even more alert, eyes darting everywhere. Then he felt it, the subtle jerk on his clothes. Kiba glanced down wondering what had grabbed him, but all he saw was another spider web. 'What, another one of those things, they're everywhere!' and then it clicked. 'Oh no' Kiba thought at the same moment as a bomb exploded right where Shikamaru and Neji should have been. He watched in horror as his two comrades skidded across the dirt, collecting a numerous amount of scratches before finally landing at the feet of the enemy. The sound nin chuckled in amusement as Shikamaru started talking, buying his comrades time, and Kiba could have sworn he saw each of them roll their eyes. Anxious to hear what was being exchanged, Kiba moved in closer until he was near the front of the thorny bush, trying to remain as quiet as possible. Listening closely, Kiba could just make out a couple of words, knowing that Shikamaru was making it sound like he and Neji were the only ones pursuing the four, although the enemy looked like they didn't believe a word coming out of the boy's mouth. Again, Kiba felt a tiny pull on his jacket and realized why the enemy didn't believe the chuunin.

"Oh, you mean these friends," said a horrible looking ninja with six arms before tugging his arms, causing Kiba and the rest of his comrades to come flying out of the bushes, the web not letting go of their bodies. Flying through the air, Kiba could only think of Shikamaru's words, and with a smirk, he reached into his pocket, drew out the tiny smoke bombs he always used in emergencies, and threw them at the ground, effectively concealing the young chuunin. Kiba landed on the ground, hard, knocking the breath out of him, but he was still able to notice that the web still hung onto him tightly. '_Damn'_ he thought and sat up, waiting for the smoke to clear. When it did, Kiba could see the ninja that opposed them.

Up close, the six armed, dark skinned nin looked uglier than he did from a distance, his large nose and slanted eyes seeming to clash against his face, and Kiba quickly noted the way the guy flashed him a large smile, obviously reveling in his victory. 'Definitely not my type' Kiba thought and glared back at him. He then took the chance to look at the other ninja. The one on the far right next to six armed nin looked like an ugly giant, his form towering over the others not only in height but also in weight. With that red hair that puffed out from the sides of his head and sickly skin color, you couldn't help but to stare. Yes, he was slightly uglier than ugly. Having stared at him for as long as he could take, Kiba's eyes roamed over to the nin on the other side of his capturer. 'Whoa, she looked mean!' was the first thought that popped into his head before he studied the rest of her physical features. She had red hair, like the fat one, but hers was much more vibrant and luscious, flowing down to settle at her waist and her eyes were a piercing green. She was also the only one of them to wear a hat. '_Probably has bad hat hair_,' Kiba mused before turning his eyes to the final ninja. Kiba was shocked to notice that this ninja was staring intently at him, eyes colder than the rest of his companions. As the wind blew between them, the nin's grey hair flew over his face, illuminating his green lips that had turned into an evil smirk. Kiba shivered, getting a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. Cautiously he looked at the coffin that sat behind them, and somehow knew that it was Sasuke who was located inside the chakra sealed wood. No, this wasn't going to turn out good, not at all.


	2. Chapter 2

"Well, well, well, look who we have here," the sound nin with the grey hair smiled, cold eyes not straying from Kiba's still form. "Just a couple of brats who think they are heroes." This statement caused the others in his cell to laugh, but they did not move from their position, ready for any surprises the small genin might be able to pull off.

"Hey, who are you calling brats, you bakas!" Surprised, Kiba glanced over to Naruto, willing the dumb nin to shut up. "Naruto…" Neji tried to warn, but was interrupted by the girl.

"You better watch your tongue before I rip it out," said the girl, glaring daggers at the blonde, who in turn straightened his spine, trying to make himself look fierce.

"Yea, why don't you come over here and make me," shouted Naruto, an arrogant smirk on his face. 'Shut up Naruto,' Kiba thought, smelling danger and anger in the air. There was something about these sound nins that made him uneasy. It was like the same aura Sasuke had the night he had almost killed Kiba. The aura of a killer.

"Naruto!" Shikamaru snapped, finally making the blonde go quiet. Happy with this result, the genius turned back to look at the enemy nin, thinking of a way to get his team out of this mess. _Well_, he finally decided, _it wouldn't hurt to tell them what we came here for, since they probably already know_. "I believe you have taken our friend, and the village of Konoha has sent us to bring him back. I really don't want to fight you, cause hey, I'm a peaceful guy. But if you don't give him to us, then we're going to have to force you to"

"Ooh, I'm so scared," the six-arm man laughed, actually clutching his stomach in an attempt to ease the pain of his mirth. "Hey…hey…are you scared, Sakon?" he finally breathed between chuckles.

"No, just rather highly amused," the grey haired one addressed as Sakon replied, lips curling upward, but not allowing a laugh to escape.

"Let's get this over with. These kids are getting on my nerves," the girl growled out, not finding the statement in the least bit amusing. She was in a irritable mood and the only way to get her out, or the only way she knew how to, was to kill something living. The dead carcasses of birds laying around the secret base was proof of this factor.

"Patience, Tayuya, I do believe we have the one we need here in this little rag-tag group," Sakon replied, smiling at Kiba. 'What?' the brunette thought before he was jerked by the web that he forgot was still clung to him, landing right in front of the six-armed freak. Slowly Kiba looked up trying not to show his nervousness, his hand automatically reaching down to land on Akamaru's head keeping him still and safe inside his jacket.

"You know, I do believe your right. Those marks are exactly like the ones Sasuke described. And look, he even has the little white dog with him!" his capturer shouted in excitement, turning to look at Sakon, a wide sneer on his face. Sakon nodded, glad that they wouldn't have to sneak back into Konoha for the raven's love interest. Instead, the boy had run straight to them, making their job so much easier. Kiba's eyes widened as what the two men said sunk in. 'He wouldn't,' thought Kiba, though somewhere in the back of his mind, Sasuke's words whispered to him, _you won't ever be able to escape me__._

"What do you guys mean by that" Naruto shouted, unable to keep quiet any longer. He hated when things were kept from him so his brain couldn't make sense of what was being said. "And give Kiba back," the blonde exclaimed as an afterthought.

"Kiba, hmm?" Sakon mused, kneeling down to completely face the dog nin, who was still trying to get over the shock of finding out what the raven had done. "I wander why Sasuke wants you so bad," he continued, putting a bony finger against his lips, as if in thought to mock the chuunin.

"Get away from him," Neji cried out, cutting through the tense silence, eyes focused on Sakon. Unlike the others, Neji knew what had happened to Kiba, had known why the brunette hadn't been able to celebrate with his friends like they wanted him too. "He only wants to hang around Sasuke. Talk about snooty," Ino had said jokingly one night, but froze when Neji turned to glare at her. "It is none of your business," he had replied icily, excused himself from the table, and left, leaving confusion in his wake. Neji remembered the day when he had found out what was happening beyond the doors of the nice-looking apartment. Neji had found the dog-nin crying on the back porch of his mother's house. Curious, and secretly wanting to carry out the advice Naruto had "generously" given him about making friends, the Hyuuga made his way over and sat down beside the brunette, noticing how Kiba quickly wiped the tears from his eyes.

"Hey," Kiba started, and forced a smile onto his face, which made Neji frown immediately. The dog-nin had been acting off the last two weeks and though everyone had noticed, nobody had been worried, except now. "Kiba, what is wrong?" Neji asked and listened patiently to the lie the Inuzuka had developed, the elder nodding once before trying again. "No, I want the truth. You have been acting weird lately and I would like to help…has this anything to do with Sasuke?" When he received no answer, Neji knew he had been correct in his assumptions, not that he would ever gloat about it. The two sat in silence for about an hour before Kiba finally opened up; beginning with the telling of the first slap Sasuke had given him. Neji listened throughout the whole story, and even though he was ready to murder Sasuke for his actions, he could tell that the brunette sitting next to him cared for the Uchiha deeply. Not knowing exactly what to do in these situations, Neji had advised Kiba to continue the relationship because it had already gone on for so long, and maybe Sasuke would change back. Kiba thanked him for the advice and that evening ended with the promise of secrecy, for Kiba wanted no one to know. Since then, after he had learned of Kiba's rescue by Gaara only three months later, Neji felt it was his fault Kiba almost lost his life, and after Kiba had laughed the apology off, the two had developed a friendship that the others didn't even know about. 'I'm not going to let Sasuke have him again,' Neji thought, realizing the danger.

"Did you hear that, Kidomaru? This kid thinks he can order us around," The ugly one pointed out, his bulk giggling with every breath he took. When he received no answer, Jirobo turned to face his companion, or at least tried to. Shocked that he couldn't move, he looked out at the four genin in front of him and instantly noticed that the boy with his hair tied back into a pony-tail held his hands in an obvious jutsu position. "How?" he asked.

"Simple. When all of you were busy taunting us, I performed my shadow possession jutsu, which I then ran along the strings of your web," Shikamaru said to Kidomaru, who had an 'I will kill you' look etched on his face. "In other terms, all of you are now under my control," Shikamaru continued, shrugging his shoulders a little, the others mimicking his action. "Now Kiba, get out of there," he ordered. Said brunette looked gratefully at Shikamaru and began to stand, keeping Akamaru tucked in his jacket.

"Yea, I knew you could do it, Shikamaru," Naruto shouted jumping in the air with his fist up. Kiba smiled at Naruto's childish display, feeling a little relieved at having being freed and as he looked back at Shikamaru to thank him, his eyes widened as metal flashed behind his friend.

"Shikamaru, LOOK OUT!" Kiba screamed. Quickly Shikamaru glanced behind him, eyes also widening when he saw the blade slicing the air, heading straight towards his lower back, where it would more than likely cause spinal damage, if not death. Before it could pierce him however, he was roughly pushed to the ground, a large body landing on top of him, breaking his jutsu. Shikamaru looked up to see Chouji, who got up rather quickly for someone his size and held out a hand for Shikamaru to take.

"Thank you, Cho….," Shikamaru didn't get to finish voicing his appreciation because a loud scream rang through the air. "Get off!" Kiba shouted, but the hand in his hair tightened further, and he, along with the rest of the team watched defenseless as Akamaru, who had been torn from the jacket by the girl, was flung against a large tree, his small body able to dent the bark due to the speed and strength.

"Akamaru!" Kiba shouted once more before a cold hand silenced him.

"I'd be more worried about yourself than that mutt," Sakon hissed harshly, pulling Kiba away from his friends after throwing four smoke bombs toward the group.

"No," Neji whispered as the smoke cleared. He didn't see any of the men, but the girl already pulling on the coffin that carried Sasuke, making it look weightless. Sensing the genin, she turned back, smirked, blew them all a kiss, and jumped into the trees. Without thinking, Neji gave chase, eager to catch up to the four, content upon hearing the padding of feet from the others behind him. He almost stopped, however, when another shout filled the air, but the voice had a lower timbre and gruff quality. As Neji neared the light of a clearing through the trees, he could hear distinct voices.

"Why you little pest," Sakon seethed, holding his left hand, blood releasing from the new wound and dropping onto the bright green grass. "I'll teach you never to do that again," he screamed, raising his right fist to strike Kiba, who was laying on one knee with his eyes closed in pain, when Neji burst through the leaves. Taken aback by the sudden appearance of the other genin, Sakon hesitated just enough for Neji to land a hard blow to his face, sending him to the ground.

"Kiba, run," Neji ordered, body tense as the sound nin got up slowly, and without a word, Kiba obeyed, one thing on his mind. As he began to pick up speed, he quickly passed the rest of his team mates, Naruto giving him a confused look. However, Kiba had no time to explain as he rushed back to where Akamaru lay. He could hear shouting and fighting in the distance, but ignored it, choosing instead to reach down and lift his pup from the hard ground. Instinct told him to get as far away from those four ninjas as he could. 'Like a damn coward,' Kiba couldn't help but to laugh at himself. If only his family could see him now, they would most likely hang their heads in shame and embarrassment. 'Who am I kidding?' Kiba continued to think. He wasn't strong, not like the others thought him to be (even if he had been beaten by Naruto in the chuunin exam). Hell, he couldn't even find enough strength to try to stop Sasuke from trying to kill him. No, he just sat there, frozen as Sasuke activated the sharingan, desperately clinging to the hope that his former love was going to stop, stop all the madness and return to his former self. "Oh god," Kiba cried out in despair as he looked at his fallen comrade who lay in his arms, the unconscious form delicately breathing. What had he done to deserve this? To have Akamaru injured like this, and to have those freaks after him. _Because Sasuke told them to. _Finally Kiba allowed the tears to slide down his face, for the first time since he was rescued from Sasuke. "Akamaru" Kiba whispered, petting the soft bundle of fur in his hands. "Please, wake up."

"_Please, wake up_," a voice mocked behind him, and Kiba jumped, not having heard the nin sneak behind him. Quickly he turned, eyes already widened at the sight of the grey haired ninja.

"H..how?" Kiba asked, pupils darting around their surroundings, looking for his friends, or a possible escape route.

"How? Your friends really are pathetic. Just like you," Sakon smiled, enjoying the boys torment. Forcefully, Sakon launched himself at the younger ninja and making the brunette slam against the tree behind him while the sound nin effectively pinned him. The brunette gasped in pain, but was able to keep his gentle hold on Akamaru. Slowly Sakon studied the boy, grey eyes tracing the red outlines of the others tattooed cheeks, next roaming over to his lips which looked surprisingly soft and plump for a ninja, and finally stopping to rest on the dog-non's dark brown eyes, which stood out against his deeply tanned skin. "Now that see you close up, I really can't blame Sasuke for wanting you. You are pretty," Sakon said lustfully, and Kiba blushed in fear and anger.

"Get off of me," he hissed, his shoulder blades aching against the rough bark of the tree, but also wanting to get Akamaru away from this situation. Kiba didn't know what he would do if he lost his beloved dog.

"Or you'll do what?" Sakon teased, removing one hand from Kiba's arm to caress his cheek. "You won't do anything. Sasuke already told us as much. In fact, I could rape you right now and you'd be powerless to stop me." A sudden rage filled Kiba at this statement, his anger at Sasuke and himself taking over. Letting out a fierce growl, Kiba pushed himself off the bark using his legs, surprising the older male who didn't have time to dodge as the other rammed into him, like he had done towards the other earlier. He landed painfully on his back, a slight gasp escaping as he felt new pain blossoming. Kiba was more fortunate as he rolled on the ground, preventing any more injuries toward his dog and himself, and allowing himself to stand up quicker.

"You'll pay for that, mutt," Sakon growled, taking a menacing step towards Kiba, who backed away. "I won't let you take me to him," Kiba said before turning on his foot and running the opposite direction. He could hear the sound of light footsteps close behind him, could smell the anger coming off of his adversary, but still he kept running. 'I have to reach my friends' Kiba thought as he dodged a kunai that whizzed past his arm. Up ahead he saw the clearing that Sakon had taken him to before he bit the older nin. 'Just a few steps' Kiba urged himself as the footsteps drew closer behind him. Just as a cold hand brushed Kiba's shoulder, he lunged through the leaves, skidding to a halt.

"Guys…" Kiba began but stopped when he caught sight of the grey haired nin. 'How did he?' Kiba began when hands grabbed him roughly from behind. Kiba struggled to see who held him, to get a glance.

"I see you brought him, Sakon. Very good," those green lips moved, eyes staring into his own. Only, they were different, darker. He knew something was off as the other began moving, this one's steps slightly more jerky and unstable than the Sakon he knew. This Sakon didn't even act the same as the one from earlier, his thin mouth in a perpetual frown, it seemed like. Kiba's observations were confirmed when a voice behind him answered.

"Yes, although it was very difficult, big brother. He likes to bite." His captor said, hands tightening around his shoulders, making Kiba wince slightly.

"We can rid him of that. Or rather Sasuke can when he emerges," the one before smirked. "What about his friends?" the Sakon behind him questioned. "Oh, don't worry about them. Either they're already dead, or they will be," his brother answered, gesturing to the huge mound of rock that jutted out of the ground. "Jirobo is almost finished with his snack," he continued, looking at Kiba. 'No,' Kiba whispered as he stared at the rock and then the fat guy that was obviously controlling it. He had to do something and quick, before he lost his friends. However, before Kiba could come up with a maneuver, there was a deafening crashing noise that made the whole forest echo.

"What! You can't do that," Jirobo shouted before a final blow cracked the mound of rock, with Chouji spinning out of it. Kiba smirked at his enemie's surprised faces before he saw the rest of his friends come out, looking completely exhausted, but otherwise unharmed.

"Kiba!" Naruto shouted, running at him and his captors. "You better get your hands off him, or you'll regret it."

"I doubt it," the older brother mumbled, landing a kick in Naruto's stomach, causing the loud blonde to fly backwards into Shikamaru both of them making an 'oomph' sound. "Quick, get that mutt out of here. Tayuya's already on her way with the vessel," Ukon shouted to Sakon, effectively punching Naruto to the ground when he tried to get to Kiba for the second time.

"No," Kiba growled, thrusting his head backwards, hitting Sakon in the face. With a small yelp, Sakon let go in pain, allowing Kiba to move forward and out of his enemies' reach. When another hand reached out to grab him, Kiba kicked out in surprise, earning him a hiss of pain.

"Damn it Kiba, it's me," Neji choked out. "S..sorry," Kiba muttered, taking Neji's hand. "Come on, we're getting out of here and going to get Sasuke," Neji said, pulling a now frozen Kiba. "What? Why are we going after him? You heard those psychos, Sasuke sent them after me! I don't care if that bastard dies," Kiba hissed, glaring at Neji.

"You may not, but I do. If we don't get him back to Konoha, then he won't be able to stand trial for what he did to you," Neji replied, a firm believer in justice, though he had never really had any with the curse seal. After a few seconds of heartless struggling, Kiba finally complied, tucking Akamaru in his jacket and running deeper and deeper into trouble.


	3. Chapter 3

Quietly the pair ran out of the clearing and through the forest, trailing the woman who was carrying Sasuke on her back. Kiba breathed in deeply, allowing the scent of the sound nin to fill his nostrils as the two began to close the distance, and though the scent consisted mostly of the girl, Kiba could still detect the faint trace of Sasuke, his arms wrapping around Akamaru unconsciously. This allowed time for the dog-nin to think about all the recent events that transpired between his friends and enemies. It became painfully obvious to Kiba that Sasuke wasn't taken against his will, as the Hokage had originally thought, but that he had agreed to be Orochimaru's fighter, and to top it all off, he had told those Sound Ninja all about his ex-lover. The fact that Sasuke wanted him captured made Kiba all the angrier at the genin, his hate for the other rising. He was seriously thinking about abandoning the mission all together, but Neji had been right about bringing Sasuke to justice, and that's the only reason he was following the other right now. 'Stupid baka,' Kiba cursed, looking down at Akamaru. 'Man, he's in really bad shape, but he was just kicked' the dog nin tried to reason, 'No way that ninja was that strong' Suddenly Kiba stopped, halting Neji as well.

"What is it, Kiba?" Neji asked, seeming to stare through his friend.

"Its weird," Kiba replied, sniffing the air once more, "I can't really tell for sure, but it smells like there are two scents, the girl and somebody else." Worried, Kiba glanced at Neji, who had immediately activated his Byakugon and began looking around the trees, trying to locate the people his companion had talked about. Quickly some movement caught the corner of his eye, and when he focused in, he could clearly see two figures. 'So, Kiba was right,' Neji confirmed, but continued staring at the two figures, who seemed to be fighting each other while the coffin laid abandoned against a tree.

"Kiba, here's our chance. There are indeed two people, but they are fighting. If we can sneak up on them, then we have a chance of getting the coffin without them noticing," Neji surmised, glancing at Kiba, who had stiffened. "What's wrong?" Neji asked.

"It's just….," Kiba began, but stopped and after a moment, shrugged his shoulders. "Nevermind lets go," he finished and leapt off before Neji could say anything else.

The sun had just set under the trees when the two arrived on the outskirts of the area, giving them a little light to go on. "There she is, and there's the coffin," Neji whispered, taking in the surroundings, "And there is the other one," Neji pointed at a mean looking figure. Kiba turned his head to look, and almost gasped. The man, for it was indeed a man, had shoulder length white hair, the front ends tied into a pony tail. He had on the same purple tie around his waist as the girl, giving them the impression of being on the same team, but his red rimmed eyes glared angrily at the red-head, who in turn seemed to be cowering a little. But what shocked Kiba the most was that the new comer had what looked like bones sticking out of his body, the ends glimmering in the fading light.

"I told you, Tayuya, you took too long to deliver the vessel. That's why I'm here. I'm to kill you and bring him to Lord Orochimaru," Kiba heard the man say, and Tayuya obviously shrank back a little more. Taking a closer look, Kiba was shocked to find her covered in cuts and blood, her clothes ripped, and her eyes full of fear.

"I…I don't know how you're here…..you should be dead, Kimimaro," Tayuya began, "but we're close. I have the vessel here and the rest should be here with his little pet. It can't be too late. He gave us two days, it's only been one…..," Kiba froze upon hearing the word pet, knowing that she was talking about him, but the man continued to stalk forward.

"Poor Tayuya, always trying to talk your way out of trouble," he said, raising his hand and gently placing it against her soft hair, but however gentle it was, the girl still flinched. Slowly he bent down and whispered something in her ear. Neji and Kiba both leaned in to hear it, Neji's long hair slipping out of the cover of the leaves. Suddenly the brunette's stomach dropped as both the enemies turned and looked in their direction. Neji seemed to notice this too as he grabbed Kiba and started to run to the straight where the coffin was located, but was cut off by a punch in the face. Kiba watched as his companion fell to the ground, then get hauled up by the girl. The dog nin flinched as he was grabbed by his arm and made to spin and face his capturer.

"So, you must be the pet." The new man stated bluntly.

Kiba stared at strange nin, pain evident in his face as the grip tightened on his shoulders. The red rimmed eyes glared at him while the man's face was set in a slight smirk, noticing the younger ones pain. He was delighted as Kiba made a small hiss and tried to maneuver out of the others grip, which he tightened even more to make the other stop. The dog nin whined helplessly as Neji tried to get the girl to lose control over him, set on trying to get to Kiba. This was not going as he had planned. Who was this other ninja who had appeared out of nowhere? He couldn't even detect his chakra at all, which made the mission more dangerous. Could there be other sound ninja out there, roaming around to make sure that their fellow shinobi's mission would succeed? One thing was for sure, Neji was definitely worried, more about Kiba than his own life.

"Well, he certainly doesn't look like much….," Kimimaro trailed off, smiling as his prisoner shivered under his grip.

"No, he doesn't," Tayuya agreed, "But Sasuke was adamant about capturing him before he went with us," she finished, finally able to pin Neji to the ground. Kimimaro looked towards the struggling pair, a deep frown on his face. "Would you just kill him already, Tayuya, unless you would like to take your last breath?" Tayuya's head shot up at the inclination, and she sneered at the white haired man.

"No!" Kiba shouted, renewing his struggles. "Please, I'll go with you willingly. Just let him go." A loud smack resonated in the air, seeming to echo off the surrounding trees. Kiba didn't protest as he was forced to his knees, still shocked to feel the stinging sensation the hard slap had caused. "Willingly or not, you have no choice but to come with us," the dog nin heard as he watched the red head pull out a kunai from the pouch on her waist. "Maybe you should watch your friend die so you can finally learn your place." Kiba's eyes widened in horror when Tayuya placed the kunai against Neji's pale neck, preparing to slice it open before a loud shout pierced the area, making the occupants turn away from the event and focus on the noise. Blonde hair was seen first as Naruto leapt at Tayuya, forcing the older ninja let go of Neji to block the attack. Sensing his freedom, Neji delivered a quick kick to her leg, sending her on one knee. Kiba didn't have time to celebrate as he was brought roughly to his feet and forced to follow Kimimaro, who had managed to slip the coffin on, and was currently running towards the border of the Sound country. Kiba gritted his teeth, waiting for the right moment to escape out of this lunatics grasp.

They ran through the trees, but even with the sound of the battle behind him, the dog nin could hear the steady patter of feet coming closer, giving him hope. Apparently Kimimaro could sense the ninja behind them as well, for he sped up his pace, nearly making Kiba fall in the process. After a few yards, they made it into another clearing, but this one seemed to stretch for miles. Kiba's breath hitched, knowing that this was the opportunity he needed if he had a chance of making it. Taking a deep breath, the dog nin jerked back suddenly about one fourth of the way across. This simple action surprised Kimimaro, for he stumbled backwards a few steps before regaining his balance. However, he had let go of Kiba, who at the moment was running back towards the forest. Kimimaro growled while he watched the young nin flee, angry at himself that he had fallen for such a easy trick. Carefully he took the coffin off from his back and set it down on the flowing grass. In one swift movement, Kimimaro jumped into the air and landed successfully in front of Kiba, who stopped a few feet in front of him.

"I won't go with you," Kiba sneered, bending down in a fighting stance. "You have no choice," was his only reply before he lunged at the other. Kimimaro easily dodged, watching as Kiba stumbled a bit, but quickly righted himself and lunged again. Kimimaro had to admire the kid' spunk, but his actions were more than a bit annoying, and soon the others would catch up.

Kiba attacked the ninja again, knowing that it was useless, but in all actuality, he was buying precious time in which his comrades could catch up and help. After the Kimimaro dodged yet again, Kiba attacked for the fourth time. This attack was different though as the other nin not only dodged, but hit Kiba about midway on his spine. The brunette let out a sharp cry and fell heavily on his stomach as his back flared in pain, but still managed not to land on his comrade. A kick sent him flying across the field and the dog nin had to try his best not to throw up as he coughed up blood. He moaned as he was forced on his back, allowing him to look up towards the sky, only it was not the sky he was looking at, but a long, white, weird looking weapon. 'How did he get that?' Kiba thought to himself as it was lowered against his throat. "I grow tired of your games, dog. It would just be easier if……," Kimimaro trailed off as he looked across the field. A smile slowly spread across his face, making Kiba tremble in fear for no apparent reason. "The vessel is coming," Kimimaro whispered to himself, seeming to forget the genin below him. Brow knitted in confusion, Kiba lifted himself up gently to see what had captured the other's attention.

His stomach dropped and his breath caught in his throat as he saw that the coffin that contained Sasuke was _moving._ The wooden crate seemed to be shaking back and forth while gas steamed up out of the sides. Slowly the seals placed there burned up with some hidden force, and Kiba watched on as the shaking got worse and worse until it seemed to still. Taken aback, Kiba let loose a small breath when suddenly the coffin exploded, sending pieces of wood and purplish smoke up into the air around it.

"Kiba! Are you all right?" "We'll be right there," "Hang on!" he could hear his fellow team mates shout, but he was too focused on trying to see past the smoke, which was clearing quickly due to the wind. He could make out a shape, a shadow if you will, that looked human. Its stance seemed familiar, and the hair spiked out from the head. 'Almost like Sas….'

A collective gasp was heard in the area as his comrades made it to the clearing, where the smoke had just dissipated, and the figure was finally recognizable. Nobody moved, shocked at what they were seeing. After a few minutes, the figure was the first to move as he turned to face Kiba, a wide smile on his face. A whispered name was the only response from the frozen dog nin, just one name.

"Sasuke"

Sasuke's dark eyes scanned over Kiba and the dog nin hugged a sleeping Akamaru closer to his form. The others couldn't fully see Sasuke, but Kiba could and he shivered in terror because he knew that the ninja was no longer human, and it scared him. One half of the missing nin's face was covered in a dark brownish tone while his pupil took the shape of a star. 'A demon eye' Kiba thought and noticed that Sasuke's hair was a little longer also.

"Sasuke….is that you?" Naruto asked, shaking Kiba out of his petrified state. "It is you, isn't it?" Naruto smiled and began to run towards his old friend against his teammate's shouts. "Naruto, no," Kiba whispered under his breath, too soft for the anxious blonde to hear.

"Hey, do you hear me, Sasuke?" Naruto shouted when he received no answer. "Do you know what we had to go through to find you? But now that you're out, you'll come back home," the blonde said confidently, now only a few yards from the other boy. Only Kiba saw the evil smile and blood thirsty look that overcame Sasuke's features, and was shocked when he flexed his claw like hands. A deep knowing settled around Kiba as he figured out what the other had planned for the unknowing blonde. "Naruto, stay away from him!" Kiba shouted with as much force as he could muster, but relaxed as Naruto came to a halt. The blonde stared at Kiba, confusion on his face, completely ignoring the white haired nin standing above his friend with a sword to his throat. After all, the man didn't seem a threat right now.

"What's the matter, Kiba?" Naruto wondered, and Kiba watched as the demon side slowly faded away to mix with Sasuke's pale face to make him look human. Suddenly four more shadows landed on the grassy field, and stared amusedly at the spectacle, but their presence did not go unnoticed as the genin automatically went into defensive positions.

"Well, well….looks like the twerp escaped his coffin," Sakon pointed out, staring at the black haired teen.

"He's not going with you," Naruto yelled at him, and then faced the ninja that they had been assigned the mission for, the one they had risked their lives for. "Sasuke, you're coming back with us," Naruto commanded. This statement was not only met with the laughter of the enemy ninja, but also that of Sasuke. Everyone but Kiba and Neji looked at Sasuke in confusion as he continued to laugh even harder now.

"I'm sorry, Naruto, but I'm afraid I can't do that," Sasuke replied, his voice harsh and mocking. The blonde stared, disbelief written on his face. "But….but Konoha's your home. We came all this way to rescue you…..," Naruto began, but was cut off by the swift movement of Sasuke's hand.

"I never said I wanted to be rescued, and Konoha is no longer my home, although I am quite pleased that the Hokage would send you to come after me. It makes me feel……special," Sasuke said, his eyes focused on Kiba the entire time.

"And just why would you betray us, _Sasuke_," Neji hissed, staring coldly at the last Uchiha. Sasuke stood there for a few minutes before turning slowly to face the rest of the group. He tilted his head to the side, as if examining them like some sort of problem, and then turned his lips into a smile.

"Because," he began, "Lord Orochimaru offered me something priceless. Something that I just couldn't refuse."

"And what was that. Power?" Neji asked, anger building up inside of him.

"Well, that, and something much more valuable," Sasuke hissed, now staring at Kiba. Neji froze, now knowing what it was Sasuke traded his soul for. "You can't have him," Neji stated, blood draining from his face. Shikamaru looked between the two, his genius mind figuring out what was happening and why Sasuke had betrayed them.

"Oh, can't I?" Sasuke teased, purposefully stalking toward the dog nin who lay helpless, unable to fight back. With a furious yell, Neji ran at Sasuke, followed by Naruto and Shikamaru. Right before they could reach him, however, they were blocked by the four shinobi they had encountered earlier.

"Now that's just rude, sneaking up on somebody with their back turned," Kidamaru sneered before charging.

Kiba's eyes never left Sasuke the entire time, not even when his friends would shout out in pain, and it was only a matter of seconds before his nightmare was there, standing in front of him, like he never left. Bending down, Sasuke grabbed hold of kiba's chin and grinned at the look of fear he received. Kimimaro smiled at the interaction between the two, Sasuke obviously the dominating persona. Yes, this boy was going to make a good vessel for Lord Orochimaru, he decided.

"Are you ready to go home, Kiba?" Sasuke asked, and Kiba couldn't even find the courage to respond so he settled with glaring at Sasuke, his eyes mingled with hate and fear. There was no way he was going with this traitor, this manic who would do God knows what to him.

"I'd rather die first, _Sasuke_," Kiba hissed, trying to keep the tremble out of his voice.

"Still stubborn as always, eh, Kiba?" Sasuke teased. Slowly he leaned closer to his once lover, his breath tickling the genin's ear. "Be careful, dog, you may just get what you wish." Kiba closed his eyes, taking in what Sasuke had said, his body starting to shake. No matter what he said, he didn't really want to die. His sense of self preservation was still beating strong within him, and he choked back a sob. Would death be a better alternative? Something inside Kiba whispered a silent answer: _yes. _

Smiling, Sasuke looked up at Kimimaro, thinking he had finally won. 'After all this time, Kiba will be mine' he thought to himself, and had the sudden urge to laugh. He quickly suppressed it, though, wanting to wait until he reached Lord Orochimaru before reveling in his victory.

"Are you ready?" Sasuke asked the other nin, not knowing his name. A subtle nod was his answer and Sasuke was just about to perform a jutsu on Kiba when a loud shout echoed through the air, making the other ninja stop fighting in their confusion. Suddenly Kimimaro jerked back, his hold on Kiba released as he crashed to the ground. Sasuke glared at the intruder who landed behind him, clenching his hands into fists. "Go!" the ninja shouted to Kiba, who quickly took off in the direction of his friends. Sasuke made a move to grab him, but was blocked by a hand grabbing his wrist.

"I don't have time for this, Lee," Sasuke growled, eyes hardening. Seeing that the four shinobi were distracted, Neji swiftly punched the six armed one in the face before running towards Kiba, ready to get him out of this mess. Without Akamaru, there was no way the dog loving nin could protect himself. '_He really needs to learn how to fight without his dog'_ Neji thought. Cursing loudly, Sakon launched after Neji, intent on taking him down, but was surprised when he couldn't move. 'Damn it' he mentally slapped himself when he realized he was caught because of his own carelessness. He couldn't even hear the boy performing the shadow jutsu.

"Naruto," Shikamaru snapped, still holding his position, "Go help Lee, I'll try to keep them here as long as I can," At the instruction, Naruto nodded, relaxing as Neji had reached Kiba and was taking him back in the direction of Konoha. He wanted his chance to snap Sasuke out of whatever gengitsu the raven had been put under and take him back home. Sakon glared at the genius boy who was obviously struggling to keep a hold on all of four of them.

"You can't hold us forever. You're already tiring out," Sakon smiled when the boy didn't answer. "Your name…is Shikamaru, right?" Again he received no answer. "Well Shikamaru, when your body has had enough and finally gives out on you, make no mistake……I will kill you," Sakon hissed, getting an ever so slight reaction out of the chuunin.

"I'm warning you Lee, let go," Sasuke said calmly, watching as Kiba ran towards the forest and Naruto ran towards them.

"I can not let go Sasuke, that would be a violation of my beliefs," Lee replied, watching the other shinobi get up slowly, anger reflecting on his face.

"What do you mean?' Sasuke asked, not really caring.

"My beliefs that Kiba should be with whoever he wants to, and you will not force him to go with you." Shocked, Sasuke turned to look at Lee, who was looking back in all seriousness. Yes, Lee knew what had happened between the two. After all, he was Gaara's best friend, and the red head had mentioned it after drinking one night to a sober Lee. However, the glare he was receiving gave him an odd chill. There was something…._off_...…about Sasuke. His eyes showed something lurking within them, like his soul had changed somehow. 'Impossible' Lee thought before a rough hand gripped him and threw him on the ground, making him cry out at the sheer impact.

"Lee!" Naruto shouted as Sasuke leapt over his friend and took off.

"Sasuke, you bastard," Naruto seethed, changing directions before the white haired shinobi stepped in front of him. "Get out of my way," the blonde growled, trying to hit the other, but missing every time. Kimimaro said nothing, intent on only giving Sasuke enough time to reach his pet without having these other children get in his way. He dodged every blow absentmindedly, keeping the blonds attention focused on him. Suddenly he was sent to the ground a second time that day, at the hands of the same ninja, no less.

"I'll take care of this one, Naruto," Lee said, giving the blonde a thumbs up sign. Grinning, Naruto left his friend to go after Sasuke, but a small commotion beside him froze him in his tracks.

"Shikamaru!"


	4. Chapter 4

"Come on Kiba," Neji urged his silent comrade, the latter keeping Akamaru close inside his grey and tattered jacket, thinking about the mission. The running felt familiar. That's all he'd done since he decided to join the rescue team, running away from the sound nin, and he had to admit, from Sasuke too. Kiba felt like a coward, but knew he couldn't go with raven. He needed to get back to the safety of the village, where he could nurse Akamaru back to health, and have Gaara whisper to him that everything would be alright, to help him feel safe. Neji glanced back to comfort his comrade, even though he didn't really know where to start, when a brief flicker of a dark shadow running through the trees almost made him trip in surprise. '_No, it couldn't_ _be_,' Neji prayed, but knew that it couldn't be anyone else but Sasuke. Quickly he started gaining speed, his legs burning with the effort and forcing Kiba to speed along also. Curious at the sudden change of pace, Kiba looked questioningly at Neji, about to ask him what was happening, but his team mate's strict look silenced him. Not even two seconds later, the scent hit his nose like a brick and Kiba almost panicked at the knowledge that Sasuke had caught up with them so quickly. _What had changed him so drastically_, Kiba began to wonder when a wall of thick and sharp looking vines sprung out of the ground before them, forcing the two to stop.

"You should have known you couldn't escape," a whispered voice surrounded them on all sides as more vines rose around the two, swinging back and forth though there was no wind, caging them in. Neji activated his byakugan and at on glance he felt despair well up in his chest at the sight of the chakra laced vines, making them impenetrable.

"Just give up," the voice whispered again, this time behind them, and both Neji and Kiba whipped around to see Sasuke, the raven surrounded by more vines, standing there smirking at them. Neji automatically stepped in front of the dog nin, causing the other to laugh with the protective action.

"That's cute," Sasuke sneered and with a flick of his hand, Neji was flung against the barrier with the force of the unseen power, vines quickly wrapping around him, the ones around his arms digging their thorns into his fair skin. Kiba wanted to run to his friend, but was unable to move his frozen body, utterly lost and defenseless as Sasuke walked toward him.

"Have you changed your mind, Kiba?" Sasuke asked, waiting for the answer. Kiba hesitated, brown eyes searching the other's face for recognition of some kind. Not known for his patience, Sasuke frowned angrily at the disobedience Kiba was showing, and with a small flick of the wrist towards his comrade, the vines around Neji's neck tightened, limiting the air the genin could breathe into his lungs. Kiba started, his eyes widening slightly, but still didn't answer. His mind wrapped around what he was witnessing, the raven's cruelty baffling him. No, Sasuke wouldn't kill one of his own, would he?

"Answer me, Kiba," Sasuke commanded, eyes beginning to grow a dark red as his black pupils split into three abstract shapes. The hairs on Kiba's arms began to rise, goose bumps pimpling his flesh at the familiarity of the situation. Sneering, the Uchiha glanced at the Hyuuga. "Answer me or I'll kill him," he continued, and the sound of wheezing filled the tense silence as the prey and the predator stared at each other.

"D..don't…go…," Neji choked out, his vision blackening around the edges. He tried to suck in more air, but the vines around his throat were slowly crushing his windpipe, whole body burning with the effort. However, Neji didn't miss the slight amount of glee that showed in the Uchiha's eyes and he wanted to scream at the boy, but instead cursed him in the inner depths of his mind. The bastard was enjoying this!

"Please stop, Sasuke…," Kiba pleaded, the disgust in his voice not disguised. "Don't do this, I know you don't want to, just let him go." He was not prepared for what came next. Kiba didn't even have time to block the punch that was aimed at him, the impact sending him flying against the wall. Vines eagerly latched onto the struggling nin, and when Kiba looked up after regaining his breath, he let out a gasp of horror. The Uchiha was standing to Neji, one hand holding the boy's head piece while the other was tracing the green lines of the curse seal. The body beneath him was shaking with a mixture of anger, pain, and embarrassment, but at least the vines had loosened around Neji's neck, if only a little. Kiba opened his mouth to speak again, but when he caught sight of the raven's eyes, he quickly shut it, not wanting to get his team mate hurt any further.

"I'll give you one more chance, Kiba. See, I believe you don't understand what I am capable of. You say I don't want to do this…" Sasuke trailed off, his hand stroking down Neji's face and going down past the jaw line, giving Kiba a clear picture of what the other was talking about. "But I assure you, I would love nothing more than to kill this Hyuuga…unless you come with me, and now." Neji suddenly shouted out as the vines began constricting once again.

"Neji!" Kiba screamed in fear, his stomach dropping at seeing his friend in such danger, and because of him no less.

"ANSWER ME KIBA!" Sasuke screamed, losing all patience as Kiba yelled his friends name again, tears now breaking free and running down his face when he saw Neji's eyes close and head drop.

"I SAID ANSWER ME!" Sasuke commanded and was pleasantly surprised when he heard a choked 'yes'.

"What did you say, I couldn't hear you," Sasuke grinned and Kiba glared at him hatefully.

"I said yes, you bastard, I'll go with you. Just let Neji go…," Kiba whispered, voice hoarse. The sight of Neji falling on the ground was the last thing Kiba witnessed before he felt the air around him shift, and then blissful darkness.

* * *

Not five minutes later, Neji groaned as he slowly lifted himself up off the forest floor, his neck sore and throbbing. _What happened?_ He asked himself as he glanced around the forest, catching sight of the still standing vines. Suddenly images flashed before his eyes; him tangled in those wretched thorns as they started strangling him; Kiba pleading for someone to stop; and finally Sasuke's cold smile as he blacked out. "Kiba!" he shouted, jolting upright and closing his eyes tightly as a wave of dizziness washed over him, sending him to the soft grass. As he tried to clear his head, he could faintly hear the approach of footsteps, heading in his direction. _Is it an enemy? _He thought apprehensively and reached down to grab a kunai for protection. _If it's one of those shinobi from the Sound, then I won't last long_ he calculated, eyes narrowing. He was too weak to even use his byakugan. His body went rigid as the shadow ran into the clearing and stopped, looking straight at him. Softly, Neji breathed a sigh of relief as he recognized the person before him. _Gaara._

Quickly the sand nin ran over to him, his face as stoic as usual. "What happened?" the red head asked softly, noticing the swelling bruising around the other's white neck, the dark colors creating a demented necklace. "Sasuke……betr…betrayed village. Took…Kiba…," Neji choked out, his voice raspy with pain. Gaara's eyes widened as he took in what the leaf nin had told him, though only half surprised. He had guessed that something like this would happen, and was upset that he hadn't been there to stop the Uchiha. "The Bastard," Gaara hissed, his sand waving dangerously around him. "I should have killed him when I had the chance."

Neji stared at his companion curiously. "What…are you…doing here?" he asked while rubbing his throat. Instead of answering, Gaara stared behind him, his eyes looking distant. "He did that to you?" the red head asked suddenly, startling Neji, hand leaving his throat. "What?" he asked, confused. "Sasuke," Gaara spoke, "Did he do that to you?" Finally realizing what the other meant, Neji nodded his head carefully. "Then that's what I'm going to do to him," Gaara stated, standing up from where he was kneeling.

"Wait!" Neji called out as Gaara started to run in the other direction, toward the Sound Village. "There are…other power…ful shinobi out…there." At this Gaara stopped and turned to look at Neji, lips upturned in a dangerous smirk. "Don't worry," he assured, "My brother and sister will take care of them….and you," he added while leaping off into the forest, leaving Neji sitting there to ponder the fate of them all.

Shikamaru barely heard Naruto shouting his name as he fell to the ground, a bloody kunai sticking out of his left rib cage. Black spots danced before his eyes, occupied with painful sensations racking up and down his body. Slowly he looked up his attacker, those green lips lifted in a menacing snarl. "You have wasted enough of my time already," Sakon hissed, digging the kunai even deeper, making Shikamaru bite his lower lip to keep from screaming horrendously. "I'm going to make this as painful for you as I can," Sakon sneered while wrenching the kunai out. This time Shikamaru could not help but cry out as his body protested against him, blood soaking his jacket and running down into the grass. After, regaining his breath, he lay silently, his mind starting to shut down as the Sound shinobi lifted the deadly metal again, ready to deliver the final blow. The last thing Shikamaru saw was the blur of orange and ridiculously spiky blonde hair before he drifted away into unconsciousness.

Lee glared at his opponent before taking a moment to have a long drink of his medicine and before throwing the empty bottle to the ground. "Now are you ready to fight," Kimmimaro asked in a bored tone, his body completely relaxed, not even taking an offensive position. "Are you insulting me?" Lee asked, anger filling his eyes, "because I do not take being insulted kindly, not while the power of youth resides within me!" the bushy browed teen yelled while striking a good-guy pose. Then, without warning, Lee ran at Kimmimaro, kicking out at the white-haired nin, who in turn blocked it easily. Again and again Lee threw kicks and punches at his opponent, but none of them stuck. Out of breath, the younger nin stopped for a short break while thinking of ways to reach his enemy. "You are truly an amazing warrior, of the likes of which I have never seen, but…..but..," Lee dragged off.

Kimmimaro watched as Lee's eyelids slowly began to droop and a pink tinge graced his cheek bones. _What's going on,_ he wondered as the leaf nin fell to the ground on his back, snoring as though he were sleeping. _Is this some sort of trick?_ He asked himself as he approached the other. Right before he reached Lee, however, the latter suddenly rose up and at an alarming speed began a combo of kicks and punches that even Kimmimaro had trouble blocking before he collapsed and started to snore again.

_What the…?_

Thinking about the various ways he could make the raven suffer, Gaara sped through the trees, his sand allowing him to move faster than regular shinobi. He had passed the clearing where the many fights were taking place a while ago and he could tell by the broken twigs and fresh foot prints that he was gaining up on Sasuke. More evil thoughts filled his head on what he was going to do once he reached the traitor, each one better than the rest, especially if he hurt Kiba. No, best to not think about that right now. Thinking about it would only make him worry, and that could cause him to make a huge mistake and then Kiba would be lost to him. A few more minutes passed before a small smile started to creep upon his lips.

_I'm close._

* * *

Naruto glared at the grey haired man, anger flashing in his blue eyes. "You better hope he doesn't die," the spiky blonde hissed, causing Sakon to laugh.

"What are you gonna do, boy?" the nin asked, amusement in his voice.

"THIS!" Naruto shouted, lunging forward, landing a punch in the man's jaw. Sakon flew backward, surprise in his eyes, and hit the ground hard, his teeth grinding into his jaw. He couldn't believe it, the pitiful blonde had actually been able to hit him, his movements so quick that he couldn't keep track. He had carelessly underestimated this particular ninja, and he had paid the price of embarrassment. _No matter_, Sakon thought, slowly rising to his feet, _It won't happen again_. Crouching down into a defense pose, the nin purposefully smirked, knowing that it would anger the kid even further.

"Is that all you got? Too bad your friend had more fight in him than you do," the nin lied, eyes tracing the tense stance of his opponent.

"Say that again," Naruto growled, his body starting to glow with a reddish heu, his eyes taking on a darker look. Sakon stared on, his own body growing tense as the boy's chakra level started to rise, as if he also had obtained a curse mark. The older nin hated to admit it, but he was growing a little weary of this young genin, but then perished all those thoughts from his head. After all, he did have an advantage, also. Chuckling as Naruto's body suddenly jerked to the side, Sakon was faced with eyes so similar to his own. _Well, maybe two advantages_.

Kimmimaro continued to stare down at the sleeping boy, his confusion growing with each passing second. _This is just a trick_, the shinobi thought to himself, walking carefully around the prone body. Slowly he raised his hand and moved it to his other arm as white bone started to pierce through his skin, allowing him to take hold of the end of the marrow. With a flick of his wrist, he pulled the bone out and pointed it at Lee's head, eyes accusing.

"Tell me, are you faking this sleep?" Kimmimaro asked softly, and frowned when he received no answer other than a loud snore from the green clad ninja. "If you do not answer me properly, then you shall die," he sneered in anger, his pointed bone slicing through the air towards Lee's head. The move happened so fast, that Kimmimaro didn't even realize what had transpired before he was barraged by flying fists and kicks, forcing him to be on the defensive for the second time in his life.

"Ha, you fell for it! What a fool!" Lee shouted as he continued to fight, landing solid punches where Kimmimaro was unable to defend. "You! You….fell…for it," the young nin trailed off, eyelids starting to droop before he once again landed on his back, snores erupting from his body.

Standing back up to his full height, Kimmimaro continued to glare at the green clad ninja, determined not to fall into the same "trick" for a second time. Kimmimaro studied the boy, his mind processing the fight in his head. The genin had incredible taijutsu ability, his speed and skills had proved that much, but they had somehow been enhanced, the shinobi was positive, a normal human would never be able to fight as he had. Glancing around the grassy clearing, Kimmimaro's eyes landed upon the forgotten bottle, the white porcelain standing out amongst the green. Casually he stalked over; leaning down to pick up the bottle once he reached his destination. _What had the boy taken_?, the sound shinobi thought, studying the medicine bottle before placing it against his nose and sniffing it. His eyes widened in shock as he recognized the smell of the liquid that had been in it. "Sake?" he whispered to himself, staring unbelievably back at the Lee, who still lay in the grass. _Does that mean…is it possible…that he is using the Drunken Fist technique?_ He was woken out of his thoughts by a hand on his shoulder, and he turned quickly to face Tayuya and Kidomaru, the girl looking worse for wear while her companion was unharmed. "Don't touch me," Kimmimaro hissed and received two glares in return. "We'll take care of him," Tayuya said icily and looked towards the other side of the clearing, "While you go after Sasuke," she finished. Kimmimaro glanced at the sleeping boy, nodded once, and took off, intent on delivering his Master's vessel, even if it cost him his life.

* * *

Gaara smiled as he cleared the forest to be greeted with the scene of mountainous rocks, jagged edges pointing dangerously toward him, as if to keep those who were not strong enough, out of the sacred area. Walking forward, he looked up only for a second or so to view the giant statues, each looking powerful in their own right, at the dip of the waterfall before coming to a stop at the river, the clear liquid making him shiver slightly. Being from the Village of the Sand, he did not take kindly to seeing such vast amounts of water in one place, not to mention that his sand wouldn't be able to protect or attack if the grains became wet.

"I never thought one so powerful would fear a little thing such as water," a voice laughed above him, and his green gaze shot immediately to the form of his lover's attacker, sand immediately releasing from the large gorge on his back.

"Where is he!" Gaara hissed and watched as Sasuke leaped down from the rock to land on the flowing surface of liquid.

"Where is who?" the ex-leaf nin asked mockingly, his head cocked to the side slightly. "You're going to have to be a little more specific."

Gaara growled at this comment, not amused by the way the arrogant punk was teasing him. Oh, the things he would do to this traitor once he crushed him, literally, and got his Kiba back. He would force the raven on his knees and make him beg for death; make him apologize over and over again until his throat began to bleed from all the screaming. He would be slow in his torture, using his own sick mind to think of ways to make sure that Sasuke would be sorry for all the crimes he had committed, very sorry indeed. Even his inner demon began laughing from all the malevolent thoughts, wishing he could participate in them as well. But first he had to make sure that his lover was alright, and so he remained standing where he was, content to play these childish games for now.

"You know exactly who I am talking about. WHERE IS KIBA?!" Gaara said maliciously, which made Sasuke's grin all the wider.

"Oh, _my_ Kiba?" Sasuke asked innocently, his teasing tone not lightening the sand-nin's mood. "Don't worry, _Gaara_, he's safe and uninjured for now, although I can't promise that in the future…," the Uchiha trailed off, leaving the threat hanging in the tension thick air.

"Tell you what," Sasuke started, a glint in his eye. "We'll have ourselves a little duel. Whoever wins gets to bring Kiba back with them, how about it?" Gaara remained motionless, glaring at his opponent.

"I want to see my Kiba first," he said quietly, and Sasuke sighed annoyingly.

"Well, if you insist," the ninja smirked and looked towards the waterfall. Confused, Gaara followed the other's gaze and almost gasped audibly. There, as if hanging in mid-air, was Kiba, his body looking bleary as water fell in front of it. Very smart, Gaara had to admit, to put a captive behind a waterfall, where no one would even think to look, and more importantly, to keep certain Sand nin out.

"Satisfied?" Sasuke asked, and Gaara nodded, his sand completely released and ready. "Good," the nin smiled and relaxed into a fighting stance. "Oh, and Gaara, one more thing. I don't plan to lose," Sasuke laughed, and Gaara smiled.

"Neither do I," he replied as both lunged at each other.

**Woot, woot! Alright the fight has officially begun! Who do you think will win, hmmn? Better yet, who do you want to win? I have my own ideas on how this fight is gonna turn out, so keep reading. **


	5. Chapter 5

Naruto gasped in shock as his punch was blocked by a hand, but not one of Sakon's two hands. No, this was a third hand that appeared out of his opponent's body as if materializing out of thin air, the fingers squeezing tightly around his fist, almost breaking his own fisted hand. The blonde nin narrowed his blue eyes, wondering if this was some kind of trick, before widening them again as another head appeared on the body, an exact replica of Sakon.

"What….what is this?!" Naruto shouted, and the second head smirked at him.

"Awe, the little kid is confused. Why not explain it to him, dear brother?" Sakon chuckled, but was silenced by a fourth hand covering his mouth.

"There is no time. This needs to end _now_, Sakon. You hear me?" Ukon growled, watching as the red chakra flared out before coming back into the young nin's body. _I've never seen the likes of this before. This kid definitely needs to die fast_, the elder thought. "Transform into second state," the twin ordered as Sakon huffed in disappointment.

"You never just enjoy a good fight, do you older brother?" Sakon teased as the other glared at him. "I enjoy it after the kill," was the only reply as the two turned to face their enemy.

While the two talked, Naruto was studying the strange ability that the sound nin possessed. _So, that is his older brother, and they look like they share the same body_, he quickly analyzed, nothing having to be explained to him. _Maybe, if they are separated, then they won't be as strong_, the blonde decided, instantly crouching in an offensive position, both his hands and feet on the ground as if he were some kind of animal.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ukon noticed the sudden move of the young nin and smiled. "Just like an inexperienced fighter…." He said, making Sakon look over too. The younger twin nodded as black ink began to fill his and Ukon's face, creating dark oval patches. "Alright, let's get this over with," Sakon stated before breaking the curse seal with his mind.

For the second time in a few short minutes, Naruto's eyes widened as the being before him began to shift and change. Slowly one horn began to grow out each head as the faces elongated, the mouths showing off sharp rows of white teeth that contrasted with the dark red of the skin around it. Menacing yellow eyes continued to glare at the blonde and growling could be heard as the transformation ended.

"Now we begin…" both laughed as Naruto lunged.

* * *

Temari narrowed her eyes as she stared down at the injured genius. _This wound is bad_, she thought while looking around, her wide fan protecting them both. When she had showed up, she quickly ushered Naruto away so she could see to the wounds of the chuunin, healing as much as she could before stopping to rest. Off to the side, the strange bowl-cut youth dressed in the green was laying on the ground as the red haired girl and six-armed man looked at him strangely. Temari snorted as the three suddenly broke out into a fight when the green nin jumped up and began attacking, all the while screaming something about being too young to drink and the power of youth. "It's a wonder he can still fight," she muttered as the battle from the chunnin exam flashed through her mind. Her brother had managed to seriously injure the green clad nin's arm and leg, crushing the bones completely before he was stopped by an older jounin that looked like the older version of Lee. After the exam was over and the three of them went back to Suna, Temari could see a slight change in her little brother. He began to act more sociable, like he wanted to fit in, trying his hardest to make conversation with Temari and Kankarou and asking questions on how to act. He even began to develop some feelings, though anyone outside of the tight trio would never have noticed. So it was not a surprise when Gaara received the news that Lee may never be a ninja and it was all because of what he'd done, that he was crushed with guilt, and to this day, the red head had regretted his actions against the youthful nin. Suddenly, a loud shout woke her out of her thoughts, and she quickly looked to the other side of her where the blonde and his opponent where fighting. She stared on when the grey-haired one had transformed, and noticed the deep climb in chakra from both. _Not a big surprise_, Temari snickered, since she knew that Naruto had powerful chakra from the fox demon, otherwise how else could he defeat Gaara? Worriedly, she brought the fan up higher for extra protection, her hand resting on the injury of Shikamaru. "Hold on," she whispered as chakra began leaking out of her hand, trying to heal the wound again.

* * *

"Damn trees…," Kankarou snarled under his breath as a branch, suddenly popping out of nowhere, almost succeeded in hitting him in the head. After cursing the poor tree out, he started up his pace once again, trying to gain enough speed to reach his charges. He by far was the slowest of the siblings, and wondered why he had to be the one to go back into the forest to find Chouji and Neji. _Of course Gaara wants to rescue Kiba, and I bet that Temari has a thing for that pony-tailed brat_, he thought to himself as a form of amusement as he tracked the chakra of the missing boys. Light flowed through the leaves, allowing him to search the ground for any sign of a body or battle, but the earth looked relatively untouched, making him growl in disappointment. It took a few more minutes before he suddenly caught sight of a strange plant formation that almost looked like a wall of some kind, the thorns and color of the vines looking unnatural next to the lively trees. Speeding up slightly, he reached the plants seconds later, and peered over to see black hair leaning against a tree trunk. _Alright!_ His mind cheered and jumped down, his feet softly touching the ground.

He was about to speak to the other boy when suddenly a kunai came flying towards his face, causing him to yell out in surprise.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing! I'm trying to rescue you here!" Kankarou yelled out of anger, and smirked when he saw the startled expression on the other's face.

"What? Sorry, I thought you were an enemy or something…," Neji mumbled, cheeks red with embarrassment. His throat had returned to normal, albeit a little sore, but at least he could talk clearly.

"Or something?" Kankarou questioned playfully, holding out a hand to help Neji up. Gratefully Neji took it without saying a word, his mind still lost in his thoughts. The sand nin stared at the purple ring around his companions neck, the sight of it making him sick.

"Well, I can see you're okay, I just hope your comrade is in the same position," Kankarou began, his body ready to jump back into the trees. _It would make my job a lot easier…_

"What do you mean? Which comrade?" Neji asked, the next word sending a chill thorough his body. _How could I have forgotten about Chouji?_

* * *

"This is getting really annoying," Ukon hissed through his teeth, his brother nodding in agreement. Five minutes had passed since the fight began, and even in second state, they still had not killed the blonde. Their chakra was quickly depleting, and it was only a matter of minutes that the twins would be forced to change back to their original state.

"Maybe we should split, dear brother," Sakon voiced, dodging another kick and several more blows from the chakra enhanced boy.

"No, if we split then our chakra will be divided. We are more powerful if we share the same body," Ukon replied, earning an exasperated sigh from his brother.

"Then what do _you_ suggest we do? We can't keep going like this. We can't kill him…" Sakon growled, hand clenching into a fist. They had made a critical mistake by underestimating this kid. It was clear who was the strongest, and even if it was two against one, the foreign chakra gave the blonde an advantage.

"Just one blow, Sakon. That's all we need to knock him out. One blow," Ukon repeated before screaming in pain as a claw scratched him on his arm, blood gushing out of the deep wound.

"Brother! Watch out!" Sakon hissed, using his energy to dodge yet again. Realizing Ukon was right, he quickly analyzed the blonde's fighting style, his technique, everything. His body laced with pain, Sakon was made more aware of his injuries when his knee almost gave out as he landed on it. _Damn this curse seal_. It takes so much energy that they could only hold it for ten minutes, and judging from the sluggishness of their movements, they only had about a minute to complete that blow. It was then, in that desperate moment that both brothers smiled in victory.

"You little shithead!" Tayuya cursed, hand flying to her face to cover the bruise that was starting to form there.

"Ha ha, you can't even defend against a drunk kid!" Kidomaru laughed. Around the battle field, cobwebs littered the ground, evidence of failed attempts to capture the amazingly fast boy. However, somehow they had managed, and said boy was currently struggling on the ground, the webs covering the green of his outfit.

"I…I am not drunk! I am not allowed! I keep telling you that!" Lee screamed, and Kidomaru leaned in to get a better look. Sure enough, the red had faded from the kid's cheeks, and his eyes were wide open, not droopy as they had once been.

"Well, whatdya know, you got sucker punched by a sober kid!" This time, Kidomaru fell to the ground in laughter, and Tayuya scowled in anger.

"Well, I guess I'll just have to teach this one a fuckin lesson, then," The red-head hissed, taking out a kunai from her belt. Smiling, she kneeled down and placed the sharp tip against his throat, making Lee freeze, the tension felt throughout his body.

"Make a fool out of me, huh? I'm not the one about to die!" Tayuya spat, but before she could make the final strike, a gust of wind forced her away.

"What the Hell?!" she shouted, turning to see the sand nin who was protecting the injured chuunin, her fan held beside her.

"So, you wanna fight too?" Tayuya yelled, throwing the kunai which the other blocked easily with her fan.

"What a weak attempt. I could block that in my sleep," Temari mocked, hoisting her fan up for an attack when a cold voice behind stopped her.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, unless you want Shikamaru here to die," Sakon gloated, and Temari spun around to see the nin holding a kunai to the leaf nin's throat, much like Tayuya had done to Lee. Quickly she looked around, her eyes falling on the blonde laying in the grass. For a moment, fear ran through her veins, thinking that he was dead. However, the slight rise and fall of his chest contradicted that belief, and the sand nin sighed in relief.

"Finally Ukon. Now we can kill these weak fools and…"

"No! We need to get to Master Orochimaru while we still have the strength," Ukon ordered, and Tayuya looked away in anger, realizing he was right.

"However, to keep you busy…" Sakon motioned to Temari, and laughed when he stabbed the kunai through the previously healed wound in Shikamaru's body. Quickly he stood up and made his way to his companions while the sand nin, who had cried out in surprise and anger, ran toward Shikamaru.

"Let's go," Sakon said and fled into the trees with his teammates, leaving the devastating battle and their opponents behind.

* * *

Neji let out a breath as Chouji started breathing again, thanks to the efforts of Kankarou and himself. They had come across the battle ground about fifteen miles from where they had met up, and were shocked to find the Sound nin dead and their comrade on the verge of dying. What was more shocking was Chouji's appearance. He had dried blood smears on almost every part of his body as well as bruises that started to form around his head, torso, and especially his broken arm. The most obvious of all was the drastic weight Chouji seemed to have lost, his figure looking slim and strong.

Exhausted, Kankarou leaned back against the bark of a tree, his face breaking out into a smile. He was about to congratulate Neji on their great teamwork when he caught sight of the other's worried face.

"Hey, what's the matter? We're fine, your comrades alive, and my brother and sister are taking care of the rest of your squad…What are you worrying about?" Kankarou asked, inching closer to Neji.

"Face it, we've won."

"Then why do I feel like we've lost?" Neji asked quietly, looking through the forest as if trying to see some flicker of hope.

**Sorry this chapter was so short, but I'm working on the battle between Sasuke and Gaara, which is coming up next chapter. So please review and I'll get the chapter up as soon as possible!^^**


	6. Chapter 6

Gaara started as Sasuke suddenly disappeared before reappeared behind him, his own sand acting quickly to defend him from the rough punch that was aimed at his head. The red-head leapt back toward the tree-line, distancing both himself and the Uchiha from the flowing water of the riverbank. Sasuke smirked, not wanting to pass up the chance to goad his opponent.

"What's the matter, Gaara? I thought that demon inside of you was a _raccoon_, not a cat…" Black lined eyes narrowed in annoyance, but his composure remained calm, preferring not to say anything to the Uchiha scum. Slightly disappointed, but not at all surprised, Sasuke merely shrugged his shoulders, the air of confidence around him steadily increasing. After all, he had certain advantages in this fight.

Gaara watched this simple act, sudden anger coursing through his veins. Deviating from his normal fighting style, the red-head lashed out violently with his sand, the edges multiplying and turning into sharp points. Seeing this, Sasuke began running and dodging, jumping over little streams of crushed rock as it attempted to surround and block him from his destination. 'Nice try,' the raven thought, quickly lifting his hands to the front of his chest, fingers nimbly forming familiar seals before lifting two of them to his lips.

"Fireball justsu!" Sasuke shouted and bright red flames immediately erupted from his mouth, heading straight at his opponent. More sand sprung from the gourd on the others back, successfully protecting him form the fire, and Gaara stared on, unimpressed. 'What is he doing?'the red-head wondered, gradually dropping his sand only to find an empty space before him. Looking around wildly, Gaara eyed the entire valley until his eyes eventually lowered, noticing a small hole in the ground where his opponent had been standing seconds before. 'So that's where you are…' the sand-nin smirked and immediately fresh sand began filling the hole, reaching through the tunnel to find its target. So intent was he focusing on the ground that he didn't notice or feel the sand wall breaking down around him as water seeped and soaked the grainy molecules. Finally, his instincts screaming at him that something was wrong when he didn't find the body he was looking for, Gaara glanced up just as a wave of water came barreling towards him, his sand quickly burst through the ground to protect him yet again. The red-head stared on as the wet clumps fell, completely out of his control now, and laughter quickly caught his attention.

"Well, would you look at that! Just a bit more and you're done for Gaara…" Sasuke smirked, the chakra concentrated under his feet allowing him to stand on the water, almost like magic. However the opponent remained expressionless, eyes boring into the raven's and Sasuke could feel the other's hate radiating off of him. 'Better end this quickly' the Uchiha thought, eager to take Kiba and teach his ex what happens when somebody disobeys him. Forming several more seals, he smiled as another wave of water rose from the still scene and Gaara stiffened as the water started toward him. 'Is that how you want it?' the nin thought, emptying the last of his sand from his gourd, sending it racing at the oncoming threat. The two watched as the sand surrounded the water, becoming heavier and heavier until it collapsed upon itself and crashed down into the water below.

"That was rather anti-climatic, don't you think? Now you are completely defenseless" Sasuke laughed, taking out a kunai and choosing to walk off the water for a more personal victory.

"So I think that I'll put you out of your misery!" he screamed, rushing at Gaara. "I don't think so," Gaara whispered, before something from the forest hit the raven in the back, quickly forming around his body.

"What's this!" Sasuke shouted, shocked upon seeing the sand around him, slightly squeezing the breath out of him. The sand-nin smiled, enjoying the pain filled expression on the other's face. Now he only had to make him scream before killing him.

"You thought you had beaten me, fool? I only used the sand on the surface of the bank to block your water. There is much more sand underneath that the water did not reach, denser so it will crush your bones easily. You did not think about that, did you?" Gaara droned out, taking pleasure in the glare he was receiving. Looking toward the waterfall, his gaze softened ever so slightly when taking in Kiba's form. Pretty soon this incident will be over and he could take his lover back to his home, where he could hold the brunette in his arms until they fell asleep, whispering to each other sweet nothings like they had many nights after Kiba had left Sasuke. Before he met the dog-lover in the park that fateful night, he thought that love was unattainable for him, but Kiba had shown him he could be loved, and love in return. He owed the genin for teaching him that, and he'll be damned if Sasuke took that away from him. No, better to take care of this quickly and kill the disease of Konoha now. The village would thank him later, he hoped.

"Its time for you to die," Gaara smiled, turning his attention back onto the one he had trapped. Raising his hand in the air, he formed a fist, and put as much chakra as he could afford into the attack. "Coffin Burial," and with these words, the dense sand wrapped around the rest of Sasuke's body, before caving in on itself, crushing the person who was inside. Satisfied after hearing a loud crunch and watching a small amount of blood leak out, Gaara tuned towards the river, thinking of a way to rescue his lover without causing much harm to himself. Tentatively, he stepped onto the surface of the river, attempting to copy the technique his now-dead opponent had accomplished by sending chakra down to his feet. Frowning when water seeped into his sand armor around his foot, he stepped back out, and that's when he felt it.

Wide eyed, Gaara quickly glanced back to the sand tomb he had resurrected, only to find it shaking with an energy source that felt like Sasuke, but different. "Impossible," the red-head breathed out when the sand exploded in front of him, sending little piles of it everywhere. Opening his eyes which he had closed to protect them; Gaara stared into the dark red orbs that penetrated his own, pure hatred reflecting in them. A slight dribble of blood leaked from the right side of his mouth, showing that at least Gaara had inflicted some damage to the other, and the monster slowly stretched out, his wings cracking as they too unwrapped themselves from his body. 'So that was the sound, it wasn't his bones,' the sand-nin vaguely thought as he continued to study the being. Beyond the sound of his blood pumping harshly in is ears, Gaara could hear the laughter of the other, soft yet terrifying in its evil sound.

"You thought you had beaten me, fool?" the monster repeated his words back to him, and Gaara knew then with horrifying clarity that this monster, with its long blue hair, its ugly, bony wings shaped as hands, the darkened skin, and the horrible black star like mark across its face was Sasuke. This thing was Sasuke, and he was terrified of it.

"What's the matter, Gaara? Surely you should be used to monsters by now, considering you are one!" Sasuke laughed loudly this time, the vibrations of it echoing throughout the valley. The noise suddenly stopped, and Gaara noticed as his opponents face turned deadly serious.

"That was a nasty trick. I wouldn't have survived if I hadn't seen that technique before. But that's your fault, attacking me with something that I've already seen, and analyzed. Now you're going to pay," the monster said slowly as chakra collected in his right hand, electricity crashing together, making it sound like a dozen birds. Gaara remembered this technique, as the other had used it against him in the chuunin exam. It was because of this that he had bled for the first time in his life, and the only thing that protected him from death was the solid and numerous amounts of sand he had built around him, sand that he didn't have now.

Sasuke smirked at the panic he saw in Gaara's eyes, the first emotion he had shown throughout the entire fight. 'He knows it's over,' the raven thought, and with that he began to close in on his prey.

Gaara saw the attack coming, and tried desperately to call the sand up from deep beneath the ground, but Sasuke was already on top of him by the time it took him to think. "Too slow," he heard his enemy whisper in his ear before he felt a blinding pain erupt from his shoulder. Blood rained onto the ground, soaking into the surface, and even though he didn't want to, the sand nin couldn't hold back the scream that ran through his vocal chords. He had never felt anything like this, the intense feeling wanting him to rip his arm off to make the pain stop. He flew back several feet, finally landing on the wet ground, the moisture soaking his armor even more. He had barely sat up before Sasuke was on him again, kicking his side, his chest, his back to loosen the sand even more when finally all that remained was Gaara himself, his very flesh exposed to the air for the first time since he had been born.

Sasuke stopped momentarily to look at his enemy. He found it amusing as he watched Gaara struggling to stand, hisses of pain escaping his lips as blood flowed from various wounds on his body. His once pristine clothes were torn and bloodied, the sleeve on his right arm torn off when the raven had hit him with the Chidori. He was covered in water and dirt, wet sand sticking uncomfortably to his skin and now dull red hair. Emerald eyes glared at him, though the effect was lost with the fog of pain covering them. All in all, Gaara looked like he had the shit kicked out of him, and the raven relished in the knowledge that it was he who had done this.

"Well Gaara, it seems this fight is over," Sasuke pointed out, noticing the other sound nin watching out of the corner of his eye. Walking over to the young boy, he kicked him harshly in the stomach, causing the other to fall on his back and to stare up in Sasuke's face. "Now you can die knowing that Kiba is mine, and no one will ever save him," the raven hissed, summoning the Chidori once more.

Memories flashed through Gaara's head: Watching Kiba fight Naruto during the chuunin exams; seeing Kiba cry in the park and realizing his attraction to the other boy; anger when Sasuke attacked Kiba and the consequent relief when the Uchiha left; Kiba leaning in to brush his lips slowly over the his own, the electricity racing across his body at the simple act; holding the brunette to his body; the first time Kiba had said "I love you". All these memories erupted in the few seconds it took Sasuke's hand to plunge into his torso, and then his world drifted into darkness.

Sasuke stood up in satisfaction, Gaara's blood leaking from his hand. He continued looking at the broken body below him a few more seconds, thinking back to the red-head's expression of fear before he ended his life. Turning away to where the Sound nin were, he smiled as he saw the dog-nin cradled against Kimmimaro's chest. Powering down to his normal state, he thought it ironic that the sky darkened during the fight and it started to rain, as if grieving for what had taken place. Smiling, he took the Konoha nin from the arms of the other nin and took off toward the village of the sound, leaving behind the tatters of destruction and sorrow.

**A.N. I know! I know! That Bastard Sasuke won! What will become of Kiba? Gaara? Tune in for the next chapter, that hopefully won't take as long to update. (damn college)**


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